Blueberry plant, ‘EB 8-17’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of blueberry plant, which is denominated varietally hereinafter as ‘EB 8-17’ and which produces a large fruit, which is mature for harvesting and shipment in the early season under the ecological conditions prevailing in Yanchep, Western Australia.

Latin name: ‘Vaccinium Hybrid’.

Varietal denomination: ‘EB 8-17’.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

The present application claims priority from Australian Plant BreedersRights Application Serial No. 2012/114, and which was filed on 14 Jun.2012.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new, novel, and distinct variety ofblueberry plant ‘Vaccinium Hybrid’, and which has been denominatedvarietally, hereinafter, as ‘EB 8-17’.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

The present variety of blueberry plant resulted from an ongoingdevelopment program which I've conducted to identify new plantvarieties. To this end, I make both controlled and hybridcross-pollinations in order to produce plant populations from whichimproved progenies are evaluated and thereafter selected.

The blueberry plant ‘EB 8-17’ was originated by me, and selected from apopulation of new plants growing on my farm, which is located nearYanchep Springs, Yanchep, Western Australia. This new variety of plantwas developed in 2005 following the controlled cross-pollination of theseed parent ‘SB-1’ [unpatented] with the pollen parent a blueberry plantnamed ‘03-6’ [also unpatented]. This first cross-pollination occurred in2005. The seed parent ‘SB-1’ is characterized by a blueberry plant thathas a semi-upright growth pattern, and which further produces large,firm fruit, with an early season of flowering. In contrast, the pollenparent, blueberry plant ‘03-6’ [unpatented] is characterized by aspreading growth habit, and an early season of flowering and a largefruit size. Seeds derived from this original cross-pollination wereremoved from the seed parent ‘SB-1’ and produced approximately 500plants. These first plants produced a first crop of fruit in 2007. Afurther assessment of the fruit produced showed desirable fruitqualities, and growth habits. After conducting a further assessmentduring the 2008 growing season, the new variety ‘EB 8-17’ was selectedas showing particularly desirable traits. Subsequent asexualreproduction of ‘EB 8-17’, by cuttings, occurred during the 2009 through2011 growing seasons, and led to the conclusion that the blueberry plant‘EB 8-17’ appeared to be distinct, and novel relative to other knownblueberry plants. The present variety of blueberry plant is noteworthyfor producing extra large and firm fruit, and which further has a small,dry picking scar and an excellent flavor. The new variety further hasearly flowering and fruit production dates.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawing, which is provided, is a color photograph ofthe new blueberry plant variety.

FIG. 1 depicts several whole fruit of the new variety of blueberryplant, including mature fruit displaying an external coloration, whichis sufficiently matured for harvesting and shipment, as well as severalleaves showing the dorsal and ventral coloration thereof, and avegetative shoot showing the growth habit of the new variety. Thesupplied photograph further illustrates a shoot bearing typical leaves,and several of the leaves showing the dorsal and ventral colorationthereof, as well as the fruit produced by the closest known variety ofblueberry plant named ‘Sharpeblue’ [unpatented].

The colors in these photographs are nearly as true as reasonablypossible in a color representation of this type. Due to chemicaldevelopment, processing and printing, the leaves and fruit depicted inthese photographs may or may not be accurate when compared to the actualspecimen. For this reason, future color references should be made to thecolor plates as seen in The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Charts(5^(th) Edition), and other common color descriptions providedhereinafter.

NOT A COMMERCIAL WARRANTY

The following detailed description has been prepared to solely complywith the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, and does not constitute acommercial warranty (either expressed or implied) that the presentvariety will, in the future, display the botanical, horticultural orother characteristics as set forth, hereinafter. Therefore, thisdisclosure may not be relied upon to support any future legal claimsincluding, but not limited to, breach of warranty of merchantability orfitness for any particular purpose, or non-infringement which isdirected, in whole, or in part, to the present new variety.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring more specifically to the botanical and horticultural detailsof this new and distinct variety of blueberry plant, the following hasbeen observed during the sixth fruiting season, and under the ecologicalconditions prevailing at the farm of the inventor, which is located nearthe town of Yanchep Springs, in Yanchep, Western Australia.

PLANT

-   Plant vigor:    -   -   Generally.—Considered strong for the species. This is in            contrast to the vigor as expressed by the ‘Sharpeblue’            blueberry plant where this characteristic is considered only            medium to strong.-   Plant growth habit:    -   -   Generally.—Considered semi-upright. This is in contrast to            the growth habit of the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant which            only has an upright growth habit.        -   Plant size.—About 1.8 meters in height and about 1.2 meters            in width.-   One year old shoots:    -   -   Color.—Yellow-Green, (RHS 146C).-   One year old shoots:    -   -   Internode length.—Considered medium to long.

LEAF

-   Leaf length: Considered medium to long for the species, about 76 mm.-   Leaf width: Considered medium to broad for the species, about 42 mm.-   Leaf:    -   -   Ratio of length/width.—Medium to large for the species.-   Leaf shape: Considered ovate.-   Leaf color:    -   -   Dorsal surface.—Green, (RHS 139A).-   Leaf color intensity:    -   -   Dorsal surface.—Considered yellow-green (RHS 146B). This is            in contrast to the dorsal surface color as displayed by the            ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant where this color is considered            light to medium green. This is seen most clearly by            reference to FIG. 1.-   Leaf:    -   -   Marginal edge.—Entire.

FLOWER

-   Flower bud coloration:    -   -   Generally.—A very weak anthocyanin color appears.        -   Open flower color.—White (RHS NN 155D).-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Length.—Considered average for the species, about 17 mm.        -   Average flower width.—About 10 mm.-   Flower:    -   -   Shape.—The corolla has an urceolate shape.-   Flower size:    -   -   Generally.—The corolla has a medium size and an average            length of 13 mm. This is in contrast to the ‘Sharpeblue’            blueberry plant where this feature of the flower is            considered medium to large.-   Corolla tube coloration: Considered to have a very weak to weak    anthocyanin coloration. This is in contrast to the same    characteristic in the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant, which is more    predominant, but is still considered weak, overall.-   Flower:    -   -   Ridges.—Ridges are present on the corolla.

FRUIT

-   Fruit cluster density:    -   -   Generally.—Considered medium for the variety. This is in            contrast to the variety most closely similar to it, that            being the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant [unpatented], and            which has a fruit cluster density, which is considered to be            dense to very dense.-   Unripe fruit color:    -   -   Intensity.—Considered yellow-green (RHS 145B). This is in            contrast to the unripe fruit color intensity of the fruit            produced by the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant, which is the            closest known variety, and which displays a light to medium            green color.-   Fruit size:    -   -   Generally.—Considered large for the species, about 20 mm.            This is in contrast to the fruit produced by the            ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant [unpatented], and which            produces fruit which is only medium in size. This can be            seen most clearly by reference to FIG. 1.-   Fruit shape: When observed in a longitudinal plane, the fruit is    oblate in shape.-   Sepal orientation: Generally speaking, the sepals are considered    semi-erect. This is in contrast to the sepals as displayed in the    ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant where the sepal orientation is    considered to be erect.-   Sepal form: Incurving. This is in contrast to the sepal form as seen    in the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant where the sepal form is    considered to be straight.-   Calyx basin:    -   -   Diameter.—Considered medium to large. This is in contrast to            the fruit produced by the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant where            the diameter of the calyx basin is considered small to            medium for the variety. The calyx diameter is about 7.3 mm.-   Calyx basin depth: Considered very shallow, to average in depth,    about 2.2 mm.-   Intensity of bloom: Considered average for the species. This is in    contrast to the bloom as seen in the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant    where this same characteristic is considered to be strong.-   Fruit skin color: The present color of the skin of the fruit, at    full maturity, is considered dark blue-black (RHS 203D).-   Fruit firmness: Considered medium to firm. This is in contrast to    the fruit produced by the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant, which is    considered soft to medium for the species.-   Fruit sweetness: Considered medium to high for the species. This is    in contrast to the fruit sweetness as produced by the ‘Sharpeblue’    blueberry plant, where the sweetness is considered to be only    average for the species.    -   -   Fruit flesh color.—Yellow-Green (RHS 145D).-   Fruit:    -   -   Acidity.—Considered low to medium for the species. This is            lower than the average fruit acidity as experienced with the            ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant, which is the closest known            variety.        -   Seed color.—Brown (RHS 200C).-   Plant:    -   -   Fruiting type.—Fruit appears on one year old, and current            season shoots.-   Vegetative bud burst:    -   -   Generally.—The vegetative bud burst occurs very early in the            season. This is earlier in time than the bud burst as            observed for the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant under the same            ecological conditions.-   Flowering on one year old shoots: Generally speaking this date of    flowering is quite early in the season, and is earlier in time than    the flowering as displayed by the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant,    which is the closest known variety.-   Flowering on current year's shoots:    -   -   Generally.—Considered very early in the season, and earlier            in time than the flowering time as seen on the ‘Sharpeblue’            blueberry plant, which is the closest known variety.-   Date of fruit ripening on one year old shoots: Considered very early    in the season, and earlier in time than the fruit ripening as seen    on the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry plant, which is the closest known    variety, and when grown under similar ecological conditions.-   Fruit on current year's shoots: Considered very early, and earlier    in time than the fruit ripening date for the ‘Sharpeblue’ blueberry    plant, which is the closest known variety.-   Resistance to insects and disease: No particular susceptibilities    were noted. The present variety has not been tested to expose or    detect any susceptibilities or resistances to any known plant and/or    fruit diseases.

Although the new variety of blueberry plant possesses the describedcharacteristics when grown under the ecological conditions prevailingnear Yanchep Springs in Yanchep, Western Australia, it should beunderstood that variations of the usual magnitude and characteristicsincident to changes in growing conditions, fertilization, pruning, pestcontrol, frost, climatic variables and horticultural management are tobe expected.

Having thus described and illustrated my new variety of blueberry plant,what I claim is new and desire to secure by Plant Letters Patent is: 1.A new and distinct variety of blueberry plant, substantially asillustrated and described, and which is characterized as the novelty byproducing a large fruit, which is mature for harvesting and shipmentduring the early season under the ecological conditions prevailing inYanchep, Western Australia.